Display and dispensing unit



Feb. 18, A SNAPE A DISPLAY AND DISPENSING UNIT Filed April 4, 1961 United States Patent O ware Filed Apr. 4, 1961, Ser. No. 100,580 Claims. (Cl. 20d-78) This invention comprises a new and improved device or unit useful in packing, displaying and dispensing for prospective customers small articles of commerce, such for example as razor blades or packages thereof.

The invention is herein disclosed in its application to the sale of magazines or dispensers `containing a selected number of safety razor blades. The embodiment of the invent-ion ydisclosed herein includes in its structure a display card and an attached attractive transparent enclosure for containing an anticle of commerce in full view to provide a unit .that can withstand considerable rough handling and yet can easily be opened to remove the article. The unit is well organized to be manufactured with a high degree of accuracy from easily produced paris.

An important feature of the invention consists in providing the display card lwith a transverse scored fold line and attaching a stiff transparent enclosure in a position to overlap or cross the fold line. The tcp edge of the enclosure may then readily be separated from the card by folding the card along the scored line to facilitate further separation of the enclosure and card to expose the contained article. The enclosure is preferably molded of a synthetic resin that provides stiff marginal flanges that supply plane flat areas for the adhesive and facilitate separation of the card from the enclosure when the card is folded or bent away from them.

hese and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of preferred embodiments thereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FlG. l is a View of 'the unit in front elevation.

FIG. 2 is a corresponding sectional view on the line 2-2 of FIG. l, showing in dotted lines the position of the folded portion of the card,

PIG. 3 is a view in rear elevation, and

FlG. 4 is a view similar to FlG. l of a second embodiment of the invention.

The unit in the form illustrated herein includes a rectangular display card of cardboard or other stiff sheet material. The upper portion of the card may be devoted to advertising or announcement of price and is herein shown as having perforations 11 by which the unit may be in conspicuous position if desired. The card lil is divided by a deeply scored transverse fold line 12 that extends from edge to edge.

A removal area is set off in the lower half of the card by the scored line 12 together with spaced parallel slits 13 extending downwardly from the fold line nearly to the lower edge of the card.

A rectangular enclosure or blister 14 is molded of transparent sheet material, such as polystyrene or methylmethacrylate with a stiff marginal ange 15 which merges into an outwardly offset body Ishaped to contain a blade 16 or other article to be displayed for sale. The body of the enclosure is of sufficient rigidity to maintain permanently its molded shape and to afford adequate protection to its contents. The bottom and side portions of the flange 15, FG. 4, of the enclosure 14 are adhesively secured to the lower portion of the face of the card 1i) with the enclosure in ysuch position that its to-p flange portion overlaps or crosses the scored fold line 12 and preferably with its lower flange reinforcing the lower edge of the card. This con-fines the magazine `16 within the enclosure `in front of lthe area of the card defined by the slits 13 and the scored fold line 12. The top flange of the enclosure 14 may if desired be adhesively secured to the Icard at a limited area 20, FIG. l, substantially halfway between the side-s of the enclosure in which case a slit 13 is made in the card therebeneath. The slit l18 may suitably be made in the scoreline i12.

Now, when it is desired to 'separate the enclosure `14 with its magazine .16 from the card it is only necessary to fold or bend the card rearwardly on the fold line 12 as suggested in dotted lines in FG. 3. This will cause 'the card to tear away from the stiff flan-ges 15 of the enclosure. The magazine, which has been fully protected up to this point, may now be fully exposed for remorval by gripping the freed end of the enclosure and tearing it away from the card. The flange 15 will carry with it fthe top surface of the card Where it is adhesively secured thereto but the pealed-off surface portions will be confined tto areas of the card outside of the removal area between the slits 13 and below the cut .1S leaving the latter area free and unobstructed.

It will be apparent that the slits 13 may be spaced apart so that the opening formed in the card w-ill permit the magazine to drop out when the enclosure is tilted or they may be spaced to leave retaining edges of the card surface for temporarily holding the magazine within the enclosure 14 to prevent it from accidentally dropping out but to pc lit ready removal thereof.

The enclosure 14 is provided with a peripheral shoulder 22 that permits preformed enclosures to be nested :together in a stack with uniform spacing between the flanges 15. This facilitates packing and shipping of preformed enclosures and also permits them to be picked up individumly, loaded Aand assembled to cards by automatic packaging apparatus.

The magazine is of itself an article of attractive design and its appearance is enhanced by framing within the transparent enclosure. As a result the assembled unit is of sufficiently pleasing appearance to attract the favorable notice of the customer.

Having thus disclosed my invention and described in etail an illustrative embodiment thereof, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. A device for idispensing and displaying an article orf commerce comprising a display card having an intermediate fold line scored across it and parallel slits denn-ing a removal `area of said card and a transparent enclosure of plastic material having a stiff flange adhesively secured directly to said card, said flange has/ing ftop and bottom sides, one of said sides being positioned above said scored line and having its inner portion positioned in approximately the same plane as said fold line, said flange also including side portions adhesively secured to said card on both sides of said line, said flange merging into a rectangular body enclosing an article upon the said removal area of said card whereby separation of said enclosure ywith its contents along said slits is facilitated by folding said card at said scored l-ine.

2. A device for ldispensing and displaying an article of commerce comprising a display card having a fold line scored therein and a transparent enclosure including a body portion shaped to lcon-tain the article and -a stiif, flat marginal flange adhesively secured directly to the fface of said card, said flange having top and bottom sides, one of said sides being positioned above said fold line and having its inner portion positioned in approximately the same plane `as said fold line, said flange also includin-g side portions adhesively secured to said card on both sides of said lline iwhereby the card maybe forcibly separated rfrom said ange by folding said card on said scored fold Iline.

3. A device for dispensing and displaying articles of commerce comprising a display card having a transverse scored line Itherein, in combination with an enclosure of transparent plastic material having a at, stiff marginal flange adhesively secured ydirectly to said card, said flange having top and bottom sides, Ithe top side boing positioned above said fold line and having its inner portion positioned in approximately the same piane as said scored line, said ilange also including side portions overlying and adhesively seoured to said card on both sides of said scored line, and the bottom flange side reinforcing the lower edge portion of said display card, said flange merging into a body portion shaped to correspond to the article to be dispensed.

4. A ldevice for dispensing and displaying rectangular articles of commerce comprising a display card having an intermediate fold line scored across it, an enclosure olf transparent material having a fiat, sti marginal ange having -four sides, three of said sides only being adhesively secured directly to said card, said card being -rovided with a pair of spaced slits normal lto the fourth side and within the `ooniines of said enclosure, said fourth side being positioned above said fold Iline and having its inner pontion positioned in approximately the same plane as said fold line, and two of said three sides having portions thereof ladhesively secured to said card above and below said fold ine.

5. A ydevice for dispensing and displaying articles of commerce comprising a display card having a transverse scored line therein, in combination with an enclosure of transparent plastic material having a flat, sti' marginal flange adhesively secured directly to said card along the side and bottom flange portions and at a limited area on the top liange portion intermediate the ends thereof, said top flange portion positioned above said scored line and having its inner portion positioned in approximately the same plane as said scored line, said card having a slit immediately below said 'limited area along said score line and a pair of spaced slits within and parallel to said side ange portions, thereby providing a removal area free or obstructing card portions adherent to said anges upon separating said card and enclosure.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,985,296 Kahn May 23, 19611 2,993,590 Denton lu'ly 25, 19611 3,036,705 Haecker May 29, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 800,881 Great Britain Sept. 3, 1958 831,550 Great Britain Mar. 30, 1960 OTHER REFERENCES Modern Packaging Publication (page 119), September 1957. 

1. A DEVICE FOR DISPENSING AND DISPLAYING AN ARTICLE OF COMMERCE COMPRISING A DISPLAY CARD HAVING AN INTERMEDIATE FOLD LINE SCORED ACROSS IT AND PARALLEL SLITS DEFINING A REMOVAL AREA OF SAID CARD AND A TRANSPARENT ENCLOSURE OF PLASTIC MATERIAL HAVING A STIFF FLANGE ADHESIVELY SECURED DIRECTLY TO SAID CARD, SAID FLANG HAVING TOP AND BOTTOM SIDES, ONE OF SAID SIDES BEING POSITIONED ABOVE SAID SCORED LINE AND HAVING ITS INNER PORTION POSITIONED IN APPROXIMATELY THE SAME PLANE AS SAID FOLD LINE, SAID FLANGE ALSO INCLUDING SIDE PORTIONS ADHESIVELY SECURED TO SAID CARD ON BOTH SIDES OF SAID LINE, SAID FLANGE MERGING INTO A RECTANGULAR BODY ENCLOSING AN ARTICLE UPON THE SAID REMOVAL AREA OF SAID CARD WHEREBY SEPARATION OF SAID ENCLOSURE WITH ITS CONTENTS ALONG SAID SLITS IS FACILITATED BY FOLDING SAID CARD AT SAID SCORED LINE. 